Interesting read from Fan House on former Celtics guard Nate Archibald, who hopes to become the only guy on the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players list to earn a Ph.D. in education. A member of Boston’s 1981 championship team, Tiny entered the NBA in 1970 without a college degree, earning his bachelor’s degree at UTEP during summers off and getting his master’s at night from Fordham.

“It might not be a big deal to some people, but to me, getting the Ph.D. will be my greatest accomplishment,” said Archibald in the piece. “I’m no Einstein, that’s for sure, and I’m not smarter than anyone else, but maybe I’ve been more persistent. And I understand the value of education.”

I don’t know about you, but I’m shocked to learn that most NBA players don’t have a Ph.D. Are we sure that Ron Artest isn’t putting diplomas on his walls?

The NBA 2K11 video game released its player ratings for each team’s projected starting five. The Celtics have the third-highest average rating (80.2) in the game, behind the Heat and Lakers (tied at 82.2).

Rajon Rondo (87) is Boston’s highest-rated player and the league’s fourth-ranked point guard (behind Dwyane Wade-97, Chris Paul-95 and Deron Williams-92). No surprise there. Everywhere else? That’s a different question.

The Celtics haven’t been in the NBA lottery since 2007, but they released a scratch ticket called “Celtics Cash.” Apparently, there’s more than $20 million dollars in prizes, so the good news for fans is that combined they’ll make less than Garnett ($21.2 million) this season!

NBA’s New Uniforms

The NBA unveiled new uniforms for all 30 teams. Don’t worry. They’re just lighter fitting, like when George Costanzaintroduced cotton unis to the Yankees. The Celtics are one of three teams–along with the Bulls and Blazers–that will stick with the traditional round-neck tanktop look, as opposed to the v-neck cutoff sleeves look. They’ll also be returning the tiny shorts that Nate Archibald used to wear. Just kidding.

WALTHAM — Two former college stars are in Waltham this week, working out with the Celtics, a source familiar with the team told WEEI.com.

Former North Carolina star Rashad McCants and Gonzaga standout Adam Morrison are in town this week working out for the Celtics. Morrison worked out on Tuesday and had a second session scheduled for Wednesday. The third overall pick in the 2006 draft by the Bobcats, Morrison spent 2½ seasons in Charlotte ‘ missing one season with a knee injury ‘ before being traded to the Lakers, where he played limited minutes while his team won two NBA titles.

Yahoo! Sports reported that the Celtics are set to hire Nets assistant Roy Rogers to coach the big men. He would replace Clifford Ray. Rogers briefly played for the Celtics during his three seasons in the NBA in the late 1990s.

The Celtics open camp in Newport, R.I. on Sept. 28, with their season opener set for Tuesday, Oct. 26 at home against LeBron James and the Miami Heat.

So what does the Red Sox slugger think of sharing his own with another star athlete in Boston?

Among the suggestions for newly-signed Celtic Shaquille O’Neal is ‘Bigger Papi,’ a spin-off of Ortiz’s moniker. Big Papi wouldn’t mind.

‘He’s a big dude,’ Ortiz said of the 7-1, 325 pound center. ‘It’s not a big deal. It’s fine.’

O’Neal’s new nickname has been a topic of debate since the big man signed with the Celtics this summer. His past aliases include Big Diesel, Shaq Fu, The Big Aristotle, and Shaqtus when he played for the Suns.

Boston-themed nicknames up for debate range from the Big Shamrock and Green Monster to the Big Leprechaun and Jolly Green Giant.

After 18 years in the NBA, Ortiz thinks O’Neal’s name speaks for itself.

Celtics captain Paul Pierce said in an interview with CSNNE that he would like to finish his playing career in Europe. Talking about the contract he signed this offseason ‘ which will keep him in Boston for three more seasons with an option for a fourth ‘ Pierce said he couldn’t picture himself in another NBA uniform, but he would like to see what a European jersey looks like.

“As far as retiring from the NBA, I think I will be done after this contract because eventually I want to go overseas and play and live for a couple of years,” he said. “That’s why this is a big contract for me, knowing I’m going to retire a Boston Celtic. … I want to go to either Italy or Greece for a year. I think I want to be able to bring my family over to just kind of share a different experience overseas for a couple of years before I settle into retirement.”

Glen Davis has been visiting deserving children this week and presenting them with a new home basketball court as part of the RE/MAX of New England Home Court Program contest.

This year’s winners included the Plummer Home for Boys of Salem and the Cassidy family of Haverhill. A total of three winners were selected from hundreds of entrants who submitted letters explaining why they were in need of a home court makeover.

Davis, along with Cedric Maxwell, conducted community basketball clinics with the winners. The Plummer Home for Boys also received a donation from the Forever Young Foundation and the Cassidy family received a bedroom makeover.

For more information on the RE/MAX of New England Home Court Program contest, visit www.celtics.com.

For weeks, Rudy Fernandez was the center of Celtics offseason rumors after expressing his unhappiness playing for the Trail Blazers. And while those talks had quieted recently, there was still chatter as to whether or not the Celtics would acquire the Spanish guard.

All of those rumors can be put to rest. On Wednesday, the Oregonian reported, ‘Fernandez has informed agent Andy Miller that he is prepared to be suspended by the Blazers and forfeit the final two years of his contract in order to return to Europe and play in his homeland of Spain in 2012.’

According to the report, the Trail Blazers turned down offers from the Celtics, Bulls, and Knicks. Trail Blazers general manager Rich Cho told the Oregonian, “I’m not going to be pressured into making a deal. I’m not going to make a trade just to make a trade. It has to be the right deal for the team.”

Yahoo! Sports also reported the Celtics were one of approximately 15 teams that expressed interest in Fernandez.

Fernandez is still under contract with the Trail Blazers for the upcoming season. The team has an option for the 2011-12 season.

Sporting a bow tie and a gray pinstripe suit, Shaquille O’Neal sat beside Celtics coach Doc Rivers for his introductory press conference on Wednesday. As forward and new teammate Kevin Garnett and Luke Harangody overlooked the event from a higher level at the Celtics’ practice facility, the center fielded questions and held up his No. 36 jersey as he became the first player in franchise history to wear the number. Check out some video highlights from the press conference below: